Development of Yellow-to-Orange Photoluminescence Molecules Based on Alterations in the Donor Units of Fluorinated Tolanes

Since the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) phenomenon was first reported by Tang et al., much effort has been devoted to the development of solid-state luminescent molecules by chemists worldwide. Our group successfully developed fluorinated tolanes as novel compact π-conjugated luminophores with blue photoluminescence (PL) in the crystalline state. Moreover, we reported the yellow-green PL molecules based on their electron-density distributions. In the present study, we designed and synthesized fluorinated tolanes with various amine-based donors and evaluated their photophysical properties. The carbazole-substituted fluorinated tolane exhibited strong PL in the solution state, whereas piperidine- or phenothiazine-substituted fluorinated tolanes showed a dramatic decrease in PL efficiency. Notably, fluorinated tolanes with piperidine or phenothiazine substituents displayed yellow-to-orange PL in the crystalline state; this may have occurred because these tolanes exhibited tightly packed structures formed by intermolecular interactions, such as H···F hydrogen bonds, which suppressed the non-radiative deactivation process. Moreover, fluorinated tolanes with amine-based donors exhibited AIE characteristics. We believe that these yellow-to-orange solid PL molecules can contribute to the development of new solid luminescent materials.     

Ring‐Opening Reactions of 3‐Aryl‐1‐benzylaziridine‐2‐carboxylates and Application to the Asymmetric Synthesis of an Amphetamine‐Type Compound

Nucleophilic ring‐opening reactions of 3‐aryl‐1‐benzylaziridine‐2‐carboxylates were examined by using O‐nucleophiles and aromatic C‐nucleophiles. The stereospecificity was found to depend on substrates and conditions used. Configuration inversion at C(3) was observed with O‐nucleophiles as a major reaction path in the ring‐opening reactions of aziridines carrying an electron‐poor aromatic moiety, whereas mixtures containing preferentially the syn‐diastereoisomer were generally obtained when electron‐rich aziridines were used (Tables 1–3). In the reactions of electron‐rich aziridines with C‐nucleophiles, S_N2 reactions yielding anti‐type products were observed (Table 4). Reductive ring‐opening reaction by catalytic hydrogenation of (+)‐trans‐(2S,3R)‐3‐(1,3‐benzodioxol‐5‐yl)aziridine‐2‐carboxylate (+)‐trans‐ 3c afforded the corresponding α‐amino acid derivative, which was smoothly transformed into (+)‐tert‐butyl [(1R)‐2‐(1,3‐benzodioxol‐5‐yl)‐1‐methylethyl]carbamate((+)‐ 14 ) with high retention of optical purity (Scheme 6).     

Reduction of dislocation density and improvement of optical quality in ZnO layers by MgO-buffer annealing

Optical properties of ZnO thin films with/without MgO-buffer annealing were investigated by low and room temperature photoluminescence measurements. The ZnO films were grown on c-sapphire substrates by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy employing a thin MgO-buffer layer. Dislocation density of ZnO layer was reduced from 5.3 × 10⁹ to 1.9 × 10⁹ cm⁻² by annealing MgO-buffer prior to the growth of ZnO. The intensity of free exciton emission from the sample with MgO-buffer annealing was almost twice of that from the sample without annealing, while the deep level emission from the sample with MgO-buffer annealing was about 1/3 of that without annealing. The MgO-buffer annealing improves optical quality of overgrown ZnO films.     

Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation from CdTe Photoanodes Annealed with CdCl2

Most CdTe photoanodes and photocathodes show positive and negative photocurrent onset potentials for water oxidation and reduction, respectively, and are thus unable to drive photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting without external applied biases. Herein, the activity of a CdTe photoanode having an internal p‐n junction during PEC water oxidation was enhanced by applying a CdCl₂ annealing treatment together with surface modifications. The resulting CdTe photoanode generated photocurrents of 1.8 and 5.4 mA cm^?2 at 0.6 and 1.2 V_RHE, respectively, with a photoanodic current onset potential of 0.22 V_RHE under simulated sunlight (AM 1.5G). The CdCl₂ annealing increased the grain sizes and lowered the density of grain boundaries, allowing more efficient charge separation. Consequently, a two‐electrode tandem PEC cell comprising a CdTe‐based photoanode and photocathode split water without any external bias at a solar‐to‐hydrogen conversion efficiency of 0.51 % at the beginning of the reaction.     

Benzothiadiazole-based dyes that emit red light in solution,solid, and liquid state

In this paper, we report the preparation and red-light-emitting behavior of benzothiadiazole–tris(alkyloxy)phenylethene dyes. In solution, we observed an efficient red light emission with high fluorescence quantum yields (up to 0.78). With increase in solvent polarity, the emission bands shifted to longer wavelengths accompanied by a large Stokes shift of up to 152 nm. A moderate fluorescence quantum yield of 0.52 could be achieved even in the polar solvent dimethylformamide. Red light emission with good fluorescence quantum yields (up to 0.50) was also observed in the bulk solid, liquid, and film state.     

Mechanistic approaches to asymmetric synthesis of aziridines from guanidinium ylides and aryl aldehydes

To approach more realistic mechanisms for asymmetric aziridine synthesis from guanidinium ylides and aryl aldehydes, reactions were systematically carried out by using a variety of p-substituted benzaldehydes under modified conditions. Two kinds of reaction mechanisms controlled by the nature of the p-substituents of aryl aldehydes is proposed for the two-steps aziridine synthesis composed of a C-C bond formation by nucleophilic addition of guanidinium ylides to aryl aldehydes (step 1) and the fragmentation of intermediate adducts to aziridine products by intramolecular nucleophilic substitution (step 2). A S_Ni-like mechanism via cationic-like transition state is proposed for step 2 in the asymmetric synthesis using EDG-substituted benzaldehydes, whereas with EWG-substituted benzaldehydes, a S_N2-like mechanism is proposed. Hammett analysis, based on the diastereomeric ratio in the aziridine products, is consistent with the proposed rate-determining steps in these two mechanisms. A second Hammett analysis, based on the enantiomeric ratio of the aziridine products, clearly reveals the difference in the susceptibilities to the electronic substituents effect between step 1 and step 2.     

Sesquarterpenes (C35 terpenes) biosynthesized via the cyclization of a linear C35 isoprenoid by a tetraprenyl-β-curcumene synthase and a tetraprenyl-β-curcumene cyclase: identification of a new terpene cyclase

In this study, mono- and pentacyclic C(35) terpenes from Bacillus subtilis were biosynthesized via the cyclization of C(35) isoprenoid using purified enzymes, including the first identified new terpene cyclase that shows no sequence homology to any of the known terpene cyclases. On the basis of these findings, we propose that these C(35) terpenes should be called the new family of "sesquarterpenes."     

Alternative copolymerization of aziridines and carbon monoxide by γ-ray irradiation

The copolymerization of carbon monoxide and aziridines such as ethylenimine and propylenimine was carried out by γ-ray irradiation. Aziridines and carbon monoxide were allowed to copolymerize under γ-ray irradiation from a Co⁶⁰ source and gave a crystalline solid copolymer. The yield of the copolymer increased with reaction temperature. The composition of copolymers obtained did not depend on the feed ratio of monomers and was found to be almost equimolar. The copolymer of ethylenimine and carbon monoxide melted at about 322–335°C. with decomposition and has an infrared spectrum identical with that of poly-β-alanine obtained by the hydrogen-migration polymerization of acrylamide. The hydrolyzed product of the ethylenimine–carbon monoxide copolymer was confirmed to be β-alanine by paper chromatography. These results lead to the conclusion that the copolymerization of aziridines and carbon monoxide took place alternatively by γ-ray irradiation, and produced crystalline poly-β-alanines.     

Complex formation of poly(4-vinyl-N-alkylpyridinium) salts or polymer containing flavin mononucleotide with indole derivatives

A charge-transfer-type complex formation between poly(4-vinyl-N-propylpyridinium bromide) (C3PVP), poly(4-vinyl-N-butylpyridinium bromide) (C4PVP) or poly(4-vinyl-N-benzylpyridinium chloride) (BzPVP), and indole derivatives or between polymer containing flavin mononucleotide residues and indole derivatives was studied in the presence of simple and polyelectrolytes. The association constant (K) of the complex formation with indole acetate increased in the order BzPVP > C4PVP > C3PVP, which indicated an important contribution by hydrophobic interaction. The addition of simple and polyelectrolytes decreased the association constants. This was explained by the “secondary salt effect” of the salts. The importance of the electrostatic interactions in the complexation systems was obvious. The influence of simple electrolytes on the K values was discussed theoretically according to Manning's theory.     

Synthesis of stereoarray isotope labeled (SAIL) lysine via the "head-to-tail" conversion of SAIL glutamic acid

A stereoarray isotope labeled (SAIL) lysine, (2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-[3,4,5,6-(2)H(4);1,2,3,4,5,6-(13)C(6);2,6-(15)N(2)]lysine, was synthesized by the "head-to-tail" conversion of SAIL-Glu, (2S,3S,4R)-[3,4-(2)H(2);1,2,3,4,5-(13)C(5);2-(15)N]glutamic acid, with high stereospecificities for all five chiral centers. With the SAIL-Lys in hand, the unambiguous simultaneous stereospecific assignments were able to be established for each of the prochiral protons within the four methylene groups of the Lys side chains in proteins.